Topics in the Foundations of General Relativity and Newtonian Gravitation Theory

Download or read book Topics in the Foundations of General Relativity and Newtonian Gravitation Theory written by David B. Malament and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2012-04-02 with total page 363 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Topics in the Foundations of General Relativity and Newtonian Gravitation Theory, David B. Malament presents the basic logical-mathematical structure of general relativity and considers a number of special topics concerning the foundations of general relativity and its relation to Newtonian gravitation theory. These special topics include the geometrized formulation of Newtonian theory (also known as Newton-Cartan theory), the concept of rotation in general relativity, and Gödel spacetime. One of the highlights of the book is a no-go theorem that can be understood to show that there is no criterion of orbital rotation in general relativity that fully answers to our classical intuitions. Topics is intended for both students and researchers in mathematical physics and philosophy of science.